Introduction page. 1921-1939. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. University of Houston Digital Library. Web. August 2, 2015. http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll36/item/1.

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(1921-1939). Introduction page. Havana, Cuba, The Summer Land of the World. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. Retrieved from http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll36/item/1

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Introduction page, 1921-1939, Havana, Cuba, The Summer Land of the World, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries, accessed August 2, 2015, http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/p15195coll36/item/1.

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Transcript

HAVANA, CUBA
"The Summerland of the World"
When icy gales are pounding Boston and
New York, while Chicago is blizzard-bound
and Winter is king, then Havana, gayest of
capitals in the Western Hemisphere, vrith
the balmiest of climates, makes her strongest
appeal. Her winter visitors are legion, from
the Argentine and Brazil, England and the
continent, as well as the United States. For
every hour ashore in Cuba the traveler finds
something varied and exciting to do. Races
are conducted at beautiful Oriental. Park
for the richest purses offered upon any winter track in the world. Out-of-door sports,
golf at the picturesque Country Club, night
tennis upon hard clay courts, polo tournaments, ocean-bathing, motor boating, sailing,
deep-sea fishing, mountain hunting, all hold
their lure to the guest. Motoring to, nearby
interior points of interest adds zest, while
dancing is everywhere in the ballrooms and
patios and roof gardens of the principal hotels, and at the marvelous Casino. Beauty
reigns, relaxation prevails, and by courtesy
of. license your personal liberty is unrestricted. Havana is one of the best-ordered
capitals in the world and surely the liveliest.
Havana is 90 miles from Key West, Fla.,
a delightful sea-voyage of 5% hours; from
Tampa 26 hours, from New Orleans 48
hours, and from New York 72 hours.
The Harbor of Havana was first entered
in 1508, and the city was founded in 1515.
This Harbor, one of the safest in the world,
capable of sheltering 1,000 vessels, is entered by a narrow channel almost a half-
mile long between Morro Castle and Cabana
Fortress on the East and the Punta on the
West.
Cabana Fortress cost $14,000,000 and
was 11 years in huilding, 1763 to 1774.
Morro Castle was reduced by the English in
1762. La Fuerza Fortress built-in 1538-39
as a protection against French pirates is
said to be the oldest fort in Cuba.
The Cuban Independence Day is May
20th. The Republic was established at 12
o'clock, May 20, 1902.
The inner part of the city is old, and up
to the time of the American occupation had
narrow, crooked streets, unkempt and un-
paved. The newer portion of the city is well
designed, with broad streets, beautiful
promenades and drives, and picturesque
parks or plazas. About 50 fountains throughout the city are supplied by an aqueduct
which also furnishes water to residences.
The brilliant lights which sparkle along
♦he curving Malecon, (meucing embankment
or seawall), Havana's magnificent sea drive,
at night, have been christened "The Diamond Necklace."
Havana is an attractive city with its
buildings of Spanish architecture, its tiled
roofs and its gaily painted houses of red,
yellow and blue. Havana residents in their
houses eat, drink and visit in the public
view. So even to the "Window Courtship."
The patio of a Cuban home is often profuse
with shrubbery, where caged wild birds sing
and fountains play.
The new Presidential Palace, built of
white granite, magnificently furnished, splendidly located overlooking entrance of Harbor
of Havana and old Morro Castle, is opened
to tourists for inspection by appointment.
The Templete, opened to the public once a
year, was built to commemorate the first
Mass after the Landing of Columbus.
Havana is the second largest port in the
Western Hemisphere- being exceeded only by
New York in tonnage. Cuba, breeze-drenched,
palm-fringed, a fitting setting for gem-like
Havana, alone can produce the wonderful
aromatie herb, Havana tobacco, Cuba's tobacco crop is valued at approximately $40,-
000,000 annually, ranking second. This tobacco is unrivalled, and exported in bales
and as finished cigars to all parts of the
world.
Cuba produces one-fifth of the world's
sugar supply, which industry represents 85%
of Cuba's exports.
Cuba is approximately 760 miles long and
a trifle larger than the state of Pennsylvania. The value of her products, sugar, tobacco, fruits, hardwoods and mineral ores
has reached a vast annual sum and made
Havana a great banking center. Cuba is perhaps the. world's most fertile land, and a
trip to Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Santa
Clara and Matanzas affords the traveler a
view of great sugar and tobacco estates,
large forests of hardwood, mahogany, etc.,
extensive cattle ranches and coffee plantations.
The Cuban railroads are standard gauge,
rock-ballasted and well built. The passenger
trains are equiped with modern sleeping
compartments and cafe cars as used on the
higher grade American railroads. The hotel
facilities in the interior are up to the standard in the cities above named, and in Santiago and Camaguey are exceptionally fine,
being under the management of the railroad.
Passports are not required of American citizens visiting Cuba.